CCME

“As Christian organisations, we are deeply committed to the dignity of the human individual, the concept of global solidarity and the promotion of a society that welcomes strangers”¹

need for both migrants and receiving society to be active in promoting integration.²

Key principles (1) equal rights for all legally residing citizens (ambiguous here as they include third country nationals) (2) right to family reunification (3) “Regularisation schemes for irregular migrants should be seen as a means of improving both the individual situation of the irregular migrant and at the same time improving the level of integration in our societies. EU legislation should not criminalise migrants in irregular situations.”³

refer to the need to employ migrants in sectors other than “typical migrant ones”⁴

“All migrants, including undocumented, should have access to basic services such as health care and education, and assisting undocumented migrants for humanitarian reasons must not be criminalised.”⁵

1Churches' Commission for Migrants in Europe, “Joint comments on the Commission Communication presenting A Common Agenda for Integration Framework for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals in the European Union, COM (2005) 389 final” Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe Homepage, available online at www.ccme.be/archive/2006/comments%20integration%20communication.pdf [Accessed September 10 2008], 1

2Churches' Commission for Migrants in Europe, “Joint comments on the Commission Communication presenting A Common Agenda for Integration Framework for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals in the European Union, COM (2005) 389 final” Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe Homepage, available online at www.ccme.be/archive/2006/comments%20integration%20communication.pdf [Accessed September 10 2008], 2.

3Churches' Commission for Migrants in Europe, “Joint comments on the Commission Communication presenting A Common Agenda for Integration Framework for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals in the European Union, COM (2005) 389 final” Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe Homepage, available online at www.ccme.be/archive/2006/comments%20integration%20communication.pdf [Accessed September 10 2008], 3.

4Churches' Commission for Migrants in Europe, “Joint comments on the Commission Communication presenting A Common Agenda for Integration Framework for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals in the European Union, COM (2005) 389 final” Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe Homepage, available online at www.ccme.be/archive/2006/comments%20integration%20communication.pdf [Accessed September 10 2008], 4.

5Churches' Commission for Migrants in Europe, “Joint comments on the Commission Communication presenting A Common Agenda for Integration Framework for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals in the European Union, COM (2005) 389 final” Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe Homepage, available online at www.ccme.be/archive/2006/comments%20integration%20communication.pdf [Accessed September 10 2008], 4.